Some of you might be in the Model UN class or club, others may be wondering what it is. Well, Model UN or Model United Nations, which prepares students for real life, and being a citizen.Model UN does two main things they are, prepare for the four conferences they go to each year, and go to the four conferences they go to each year. In fact, they have one coming up from Thursday March 26th to March 28th, in New York! There will be about 1,600 middle schoolers at the conference. How cool is that! “Going to Model UN conferences is like being a real ambassador,” Ms. Barry told me during our interview. “being in Model UN teaches students how to do research, how to develop teamwork, writing skills, long term life skills, public speaking, and many more important skills." She said that it really helps lots of students prepare for real life.For those of you that don’t know Model UN is like learning to be in The United Nations. The students get assigned a country, topic and committee. They have to learn about their committee, and topic, then get ready for the conference by coming up with a solution for the topic and, at the conference, they have to convince the "people" of their solution. Ms. Barry said, “I hope more people will come to the club and give it a try, because it is such a good experience and it really helps you in life. It really shows kids that the world doesn't revolve around them, and it is so great to see kids excited to learn about world issues.” So head down to model UN and learn a bit about it yourself. (Room 153)

Make Life KinderBy: Keira January

What do you think of when you hear the word kindness? Do you think of helping a kid when their books drop? Making someone’s day with a nice favor or compliment? In the MLK club, I realized how much they do for other people. I interviewed Mr. Mantes, who runs the club, and Megan Mosteiro, a leader of the club. I asked them a few questions and it turns out they do a lot of interesting and fun things. Here are some things about them.Their goal is to give service to the school, the community, and the world. Each month they try to focus on some kind of charity. During the month of October, they focused on the world by collecting money for breast cancer. You might have been asked to wear pink and to donate money. In November, they helped the community by baking cookies and volunteering at a food pantry. They also did this in December, and they helped out the school by getting gift certificates for students who can’t hang out in the village because they don’t have any money. In January, they are going to a nursing home to do something like arts and crafts with the elderly. Basically, they want to spend time with them.The MLK Club recently went on a field trip. They went to the food pantry. The kids had two choices of what they could do: they could fill up bags for donation, or they could be an escort. The pantry also had toys, furniture, etc., and people who don’t have as much could take what they needed. The kids carried a bag, and put in whatever the people needed into the bag, Each kid got assigned a person, and showed them around. They said the bags got extremely heavy. The MLK Club meets every Tuesday and Friday after school, and at a typical meeting they discuss what to do each month, and activities they want to do each month. Mr. Mantes wants kids to take away that they should be selfless and always think of others and other people’s needs. He wants to show them that when you start thinking of others and helping others, you feel good about yourself.Mr. Mantes and Megan also said that there aren’t many guys in the club, and that they’d like to see more. They think that guys might not be as interested in the club or it might seem as if it’s “just helping people”. But the biggest is that they might not seem macho, or manly. “Just because you’re doing community service doesn’t mean you’re less of a guy.” Mr. Mantes said. When I was interviewing them, they randomly made up a quote for me: “If you want to feel good about yourself, do something for someone else.” Sometimes, we forget how good it makes us feel to help others. So if you want give yourself a boost in life, or a pick-me-up, help someone in need. It really is the best thing.

The Battle Begins

By Elliot Foley

Battle of the Classes Events:

Tug of War

Ultimate Relay Race

Chase

Musical Chairs(tires)

Hula-Hoop Contest

Topsy - Turvey Tower Relay\

Teacher Trivia

Spirit PointsSpirit Week Points

All the classes, lined on the red and white bleachers, cheered loudly as classmates battled against other grades. “Sev-enth grade! Sev-enth grade!” seventh graders roared, stomping their feet and clapping loudly. “Let’s go, sixth grade, let’s go!!!” sixth graders cheered tirelessly, clapping and making much noise to support their grade. Breathless, the competitors continue their challenge, wiping sweat to keep it from running down their faces. The eighth graders, wearing red, cheer loudly and one particular student blows a horn loudly and continuously. “WHOO!!!!!Eighth - grade, eighth - grade!”“I think we have a winner!” one of the teachers shouts, and the losing kids slumped toward their seats. “Seventh grade won that one,” everybody whispers to another friend. The Battle of the Classes is a good, entertaining way to end the year before winter break, and later in June before summer break. There is a week before the final battle called Spirit week. Basically, you earn points for your grade if you dress up like what the day is. For example, Pajama day, and Tacky Thursday. Also, another thing is Spirit points. You fill up your grade’s jar with every coin EXCEPT pennies. You put the pennies in opposing grades jar, so they would lose points. Then, who ever has the highest AMOUNT, not value, AMOUNT of coins would get the most points. There were other things that could earn you points, like cheer loudly for your grade, stop cheering when signaled, start cheering when signaled, and wearing your teams colors. Sixth grade had to wear white, seventh had to wear black, and eighth wore red. Most students love Battle of the Classes, and most activities are awesome, but one small glitch ruined sixth grade’s chance of winning Chase; Tire Chase, a secret ‘surprise’ no student has known. “Oh really?” you may ponder. Well, let me show you!Personally, I believe all Chase contestants who signed up were pretty fast, or at least had a lot of self-confidence and would be successful. When the Tire Chase was announced, I was bummed out. As a Chase contestant myself, I was up after about five people, and I knew I was not good at rolling tires around cones. Another contestant down the line muttered, “I didn’t sign up to roll tires; I signed up to run.” I agreed. Being a sixth grader, it was hard to roll those ‘heavy’ tires around sharp turns. Before we knew it, a seventh grader lightly tapped a sixth grade contestant on the shoulder. The contestant stopped pushing the tire, and looked relieved. It was the same contestant who had commented on signing up for running. I have seen this contestant run before, and she is very fast. Rolling a tire made it seem like a slow motion game of Chase. Sixth grade won 2nd place, in front of eighth grade, and behind seventh. I was completely content with this smooth transition into the holiday season, and many sixth graders were also content. A comment on a child-friendly facebook for school asks the students on Mountain Screamers what they thought about being in second place behind seventh grade. All replies said something like, “I thought we would get 3rd, this is great for our first shot at this!” or “I was surprised but content.”, etc. The Battle of the Classes overall went well, except for the minor glitch (Tire Chase) that got some contestants no chance to actually play the original game of Chase.

Science LabExpectations VS Reality Recently all of the Maplewood Middle School science teachers were interviewed about the new science wing. Keira January interviewed the sixth grade teachers, Clea Licht, Lael Licht, and Elliot Foley interviewed the seventh grade, and Ava Syed interviewed the eighth grade teachers. You would surprised at the Science Lab Expectations VS Reality. Eighth GradeRecently I interviewed the eighth grade science teacher Mr. Johnson about his new science room. A: So how do you feel about the new room? J: This isn’t a science room, it doesn’t flow right.A: Do you feel like you have more space than in your old room? J: No, I would take my old room over my new room any day!A: Do the students complain about the room?J: They do occasionally, but not all of the time.A: What are your favorite parts of the new room?J: Probably that there is heating, my old room was really cold.

A: When did you learn about the new rooms?

J: About five years ago they told us, so we knew, they only just got the rooms finished.

A: Wow, really?

J: You bet!A: My science teacher -J: Who do you have?A: Mr. Terenzi.J: Oh, the crazy guy, continue.A: Mr. Terenzi complains about not having enough space, do you feel like you have a good amount of space?J: Well, not really, because of the fact we have tables and not individual desks, it is hard to get around, but it isn’t so bad.J: You know you ask really good questions.A: Thank you so much. I noticed your large demonstration table up at the front, and the smart board on wheels, do those make it easier to teach?

J: Well, I have to be honest, it is too big. It can sometimes give me too much room.

A: Most teachers would love to have more space, would you mind expanding on what you said?

J: I do agree, having lots of space is great, but the space isn't where I need it, I need more cabinets, and space for the kids books.

A:You said something earlier about space for student books?

J: Yes, the tables we have don't have insides which means books are on the floor and are left here occasionally, if I could have my way with the desks, there would be smaller tables, or it would be great if we had individual desks actually.

A: Do have anything else you would like to add?

J: I guess just that I prefer my old room to my new room, but I will learn to deal with the room.A: Well, that's great, thank you!

J: Thank you as well, and I hope to see you in a couple years.

Seventh Grade Interviewby Elliot, Clea, and LaelMany people might be expecting the two seventh grade science teachers to have similar opinions on the new science wing that their classrooms are now located in, but we experienced quite the opposite. Once you read these interviews, you’ll see what we mean.

This interview is with Ms. TavaresLael: Hello, Ms. Tavares. We are three sixth grade students from the Maplewood Middle School newspaper, and we would like to ask you a couple of questions about the new science wing you now teach in. Do you have the time?Teacher: Yes, of course, come in. Lael: Thank you. Now, let’s start with a general question. A lot of people have been saying things about the new wing. How do you feel about your new classroom?Teacher: I guess, overall, that I am thrilled with having a new classroom. There are enough sinks for good, efficient labs, six in total. Even so, the layout of the classroom could be better, and it still lacks some things. Sometimes the room can get pretty crowded, for it is relatively small.Clea: Okay. Is there anything else you want to add?Teacher: No, that is about all I have to say.Clea: Great. Now, then, we’ll move on to question two: Do you think that the setup of the room affects learning? And if so, why?Teacher: I do think that the setup of the room affects the learning of the students in my class. The problem with the setup is that not all students have a clear visual path of the smart board and the white board. Also, I don’t find it too convenient that the two boards were not placed next to each other. Another problem is the demo desk. I think that the demo desk should be in front of the whiteboard, so that I can write notes on the board for the kids to copy while doing a demonstration.Elliot: I agree with you. Since there are a couple of faults in the classroom, do you think it can be improved? And if so, how?Teacher: Well, I would definitely want to add baskets to the student’s chair’s for extra space to store supplies and tools. I would also like a larger space, because we do a lot of labs and moving around in science. If I could, I would move the safety shower away from the doorway where it is now located. This can be a big tripping hazard. I would also love to have a couple of bulletin boards, to display student work.Lael: I like those ideas. But how do you think that the arrangement of the classroom as it is right now affects you as a teacher? And why do you think that the school organized the room this way?Teacher: Can I answer the second part of the question first?Lael: Sure.Teacher: I think that the school organized the room this way because of the decisions of the people who did the construction, not teachers or education specialists. You see, the classroom is not as functional as it could be, as if it was designed to be as fast and easy to build as possible. These workers did what they knew, and built the science room just like any other room. This design affects me as a teacher because it changes the way I run things around here, and the decisions I make about how we will make this classroom function. For example, I run lab procedures differently than I did in my old classroom, so that we could limit the traffic of students during experiments.Clea: I could expect that. Speaking of expecting things, did the new science wing turn out the way you expected it to be before it was built?Teacher: No, I did not expect the science wing to be this way. I predicted that it would be bigger, larger, and better than it actually turned out to be, sort of like a dream science room would be. I expected more flexibility and a smoother flow to the room. I also specifically asked for independant desks, not the long tables I have now. So in all, I did not expect the science wing to turn out this way.Elliot: Okay then, that was our final question. Thank you for lending us your time, and we hope you have a very nice rest of your day.

This interview is with Ms. BergenLael: Hello, Ms. Bergen. We are three students from the MMS newspaper, Lael, Clea, and Elliot. We were wondering if you could spare a few minutes of your time for an interview?Teacher: Sure. What is it about?Elliot: We want to ask you a few questions about the new science wing.Teacher: Well, I teach in it! Lael: So, how do you feel about it? Do you have negative or positive opinions?Teacher: I’m excited about the new space. It has better electrical functions, sinks, more space on the counter, and a nice view of outside.Clea: That’s a pretty positive perspective, in my opinion. Talking about positive “charges”, do you think that this new science room affects learning in a positive way?Teacher: Yes, I do, in fact. This room functions better than my former room. This is important because we do a lot of experiments in 7th grade, so the room needs to work properly in order for us to be safe, and get things done. Speaking of getting things done, the time we take to clean up is faster here than in my old room, because this one is set up better. Also, we used to have two sinks in my old science room, with thirty kids. As you can tell, this was not very functional. Now, we have more sinks, which helps things get done more efficiently. But now, I’m going to talk about a negative aspect of the new room. I still don’t think we have enough space. This prevents us from being able to conduct labs and other activities in an entirely safe way.Elliot: Yes. I agree. But, how do you think this problem, along with other things, could be improved, and how?Teacher:I would have liked some more physical space, of course. I also think the white boards could have been put on a different wall, and the cabinets moved for student convenience. I would have liked everything to be in one area, so I don’t have to constantly switch the focus of the students by demonstrating in different places. I find this inconvenient.Lael: That is frustrating to have to be in different places all at once! How does this affect you as a teacher? Why do you think the school organized it this way?Teacher: I’ll answer the second question first, if that’s alright with you. I think they organized the classrooms this way because they expected less kids to be using them. We have about thirty kids in a class, and these science classrooms aren’t even as big as normal ones. So, back to the first question. I don’t think I’m doing anything drastically different. I guess that this new arrangement has made it overall easier for me to teach. We have new technology, working sinks, and more lab space.Elliot:Ok. Now for the last question. Did the new room turn out the way you expected it to?Teacher: Well, the room is smaller than I anticipated it to be. But, other from that, we were hoping there would be some stools. This would make labs much easier. Clea: Thanks so much for answering our questions! We really appreciate it. We hope you receive all the additional things you need for your room. And, we look forward to possibly having you as a science teacher next year!

The Sixth Grade InterviewBy Keira January

You probably know about the new science classrooms. What you don’t know is how the sixth grade teachers feel about it. I interviewed Mr. Terrenzi and Mr. Wright, and they both had the same general idea of what they thought of it. First I asked them what they liked best about their classrooms. Mr. Wright says that he likes the temperature; it’s cool in the summer, and Mr. Terrenzi likes that nobody uses the lockers in the hall. I also asked them what was one thing they have now that their old classrooms didn’t. Mr. Wright told me he didn’t have a smartboard box/speaker, in his old room, so basically he now has updated technology. Mr. Terrenzi said that he didn’t have inside bulletin boards in his old classroom. The next thing I asked them was what they would change about it. They would both said they would make it bigger. Mr. Wright says it’s not too rectangular, and Mr. Terrenzi doesn’t like the shape. “What this classroom is is a giant closet.” he said. The flexibility of the room disappointed both teachers. Mr. Wright reminded me about how the classroom used to be in the beginning of the school year(Mr. Wright is my science teacher). In it, we had tables and chairs instead of desks. It was very crowded with it, and it hard to move around. It was easier when we got desks, but the room isn’t as big as he wanted it to be.At least the classrooms are dedicated to science. Before the wing, Mr. Wright taught in room 284, and he has also taught in 291 before. They are general purpose classrooms. Mr. Terrenzi taught in Ms. Skirvanic’s room, a math room. “I am publicly asking Ms. Skirvanic if we can swap rooms.” he told me.The expectations of the wing were a lot different than expected. Mr. Terrenzi said they were so excited. They weren’t told much, which made it even more exciting. The plans were different, though. For starters, it was much larger and more flexible, to meet the needs of the learners. It didn’t turn out to be the way it was supposed to, and they were disappointed by the size.I’d like to say that the 6th grade teachers were happy about the wing. But both of them said they liked their old classrooms better. If they build a new wing next time, I’m hoping things will be much, much different.

Sixth Grade Box Lunch SocialBy Ava Syed

The sixth graders probably know what happened at our Boxed Lunch Social, because you were there. I saw lots of historical repeats. Thanksgiving began because the Native Americans agreed to show the ‘pilgrims’ how to farm and hunt. What we did is we all agreed to share our food with some of our friends. One group even gave me a chocolate chip muffin! Let’s think, why did we get to have the privilege to have that event? Maybe the teachers wanted to see how well we all worked together, what choices we make, and what kind of people we might be, or they could’ve just done it so they wouldn’t have to teach.At the event many groups also gave goodies to their favorite teachers, or just chatted with them. A lot of people brought in unhealthy foods, but some groups (like mine) brought in a mini Thanksgiving feast. You know, turkey, sweet potatoes, vegetables, cranberry sauce, the whole nine yards! I think the event was a big hit, For both teachers, and students! It was definitely a lot of fun and was a well needed break. But now that we are back we can work hard for our winter break. Don’t moan and groan at that, because you never know what other fun surprises our awesome teachers have planned…

Think About It

Have you ever said something without thinking about it? Something you thought was cool, or friendly, but then you say it and realize it wasn’t. There is no way to predict the future, or control people’s emotions, but you can do your best to explain what you mean, so you don’t ruin a person’s day.Pretty recently I have been enduring a pretty difficult situation, people have been saying some things about me and other people that aren’t true. What they don’t know is, it doesn’t feel good. They are negatively aiming it at other people, but it is negatively affecting me. I don’t know what the other people think about the situations, but I know I don’t like it.I am about to sound really cheesy right now, but if you ever, ever doubt anything you ever say, think about it, and ask yourself these questions:What did I say?How could it have impacted people?You, what did you feel when you said it?Even though it is cheesy I guarantee it will help you one time or another. So before you completely block this out of your short attentions span minds, just… Think About It.

Mr. AdamsBy Ava Syed

Who do you know that loves to travel, worked in media, and is our new school principal- oh, I kind of just gave it away. Well, yes our new principal, Mr. Adams loves to travel, has worked in media, and is super excited about being our principal. On Halloween, Mr. Adams and I had a spooky meeting. “I love working here so far, all of the people here are so exciting, engaging, smart, and helpful.” He told me. “Each and every day, every student here inspires me to work harder and the put a smile on my face.”Calling all artists! Mr. Adams is a big advocate of student artwork. He really wants to display more student artwork. Adding more artwork to our school would be an example of change. Mr. Adams says that “change is a process and not an event.” Part of the process of change that our principal had in mind includes, better lighting in our classrooms and hallways, and “beautifying our school”. - Calling all MMS artists! Mr. Adams would love to see all of your art displayed beautifully on our walls. So go and get your best artwork ready for displaying!As I said earlier, Mr. Adams loves to travel. He went to school at Itchaca College and after that he lived in -brace yourself- Italy, Mexico, South Africa, and actually, over 35 countries. He has not yet been to Australia, or Antarctica, but they are on his bucket list. A short story of Mr. Adams adult life goes something like this; He went to Itchaca College, he was a fifth grade teacher - FUN FACT: Mr. Adams became a principal because as a teacher you impacts, maybe 30-60 students, but as a principal, you impact entire schools- he was also a school counselor, he worked in television, and now, he is a father of Darryl (7) and Kai (4) and of course, our principal. Sadly, Mr. Adams told me the Waffles Show (Do you like Waffles!) has been cancelled. Unfortunately, the scheduling, and budgeting was done before he got here, and he can’t continue the show. But, he does hope to bring the show back next year! Now you know all about our new principal Mr. Adams, his past, present, and the outline of another incredible school year!

The New Science WingOn October 11th, 2012 at a meeting of the Board of Education, Township of Maplewood, and Township of South Orange a topic was “MMS addition happening in the fall.” The construction must have been slower than they expected because in June, 2013 Principal Jeffrey L. Truppo said in one of his Principal’s Messages that “I’m also hoping to send you updates on the progress of our new science wing, which should see steel erected in the next few weeks.” When summer was over. the wing was still not finished, not like they told my parents and many more. Walking past Construction On my walk to school, when I actually get to the school grounds, I walk around the eighth graders and go to where rocks cover the sidewalk and go into the street. Some kids try climbing over them, and others creep into the street. Once past those, I see where sand covers the sidewalk. It used to be taped off and kids went around it into the street. Now kids mostly walk across the sand. Usually there are trucks parked there so you have to stumble over rocks and get your shoes dirty in the sand. After that you round a corner and have to cross more sand because of the barrier of teachers’ cars. Next there usually is an open gate, so some people go onto the construction site and walk around a little hole, but others, like me, walk across the little sliver of land. Then we’re at the courtyard where we go in. Kids in my 6th grade team and Team C (Red Tigers) do this every day without thinking about it. But we do think about the loud noises outside our windows. Even the teachers are annoyed with it.The Problems of ConstructionBeeps and Jackhammers You can hear the beeps of the construction workers’ trucks and thunder of their jackhammers in many classrooms including Mr. Terenzi, Mrs.Tomsey, Mrs. Jackson, Sra. Seltzer, and more. Mrs. Tomsey, a science teacher of the 6th Grade Team Firecats, says that at times the jackhammers were so loud in class they could not hear each other. The Smoking Rumor becomes true Another important problem is the smell. Rumors have gone around that the construction workers are smoking, and according to Sra. Seltzer, a Spanish teacher, and Mrs. Tomsey, they actually are. But what Caitlyn “Cate” Huetz says brings it to another level. “Once with a sub we could smell cigarette smoke. The sub actually saw them smoking.” She also said on October 7th that she had smelled cigarette smoke again that day. Sra. Seltzer said that she had smelled it too during her classes. Mrs. Hewitt, assistant principal of MMS, looked surprised when it was mentioned it to her, and said she had not smelled smoke or heard about it. She also said that the construction should be done in January. Mr. Brown,, assistant principal of MMS, agreed. According to Alice Condry-Power, her dad is an architect who says that at the rate they’re going, the new wing will be done next September!The People’s Opinions I asked people what their opinion was on the new science wing. 6th grader Michelle Forbes said, “(It’s) ok… I wish they did it more over the summer. It’s a distraction for the school year.” Helen “Nellie” Carbonara agreed, “They’re taking too long.” Jason Pagen wrote, “It sounds amazing but I think that the workers are making slow progress.” Zoe Slavin had the same opinion. “It sounds so cool, but the construction noise can be very distracting.” When asked about the end result, the replies seemed to all be positive. “I think it’s going to be awesome!!!” wrote Nicole Westwood. “Same here,” wrote Erlinda Sanjurjo. Mrs. Tomsey said that the new science wing will be “good, nice,” she also said that it was good “that we (the science teachers) are going to get new classrooms.” Sra. Seltzer predicted that it “will be very nice when it’s done.” And continued on to say, “I look forward to seeing it when it’s finished.” Mrs. Hewitt said that her only wish was that the construction would be finished on time. Sadly, looking back on the new science wing’s construction history, I guess that’s not going to happen.